2010 College Football Preview: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets will enter the 2010 CFB season as the #18 ranked team according to the Sporting News. The good news is this is a team that went 11-3 and won the ACC Coastal Division in 2009. The bad news is they lost four underclassmen to the NFL Draft. Those four players; Jonathan Dwyer, Derrick Morgan, Demaryius Thomas, and Morgan Burnett would have made this team a likely national champion contender this year. Now Senior QB Josh Nesbitt will have to step in and run their “Flex bone” offense attack, and lead the team on the field.

The Yellow Jackets look to have a very manageable schedule, the key date in my mind is November 4th when they travel to Virginia Tech. The Hoakies are tough on Thursday nights in Blacksburg, and they may be looking to avenge the loss last season that propelled Tech to a divisional crown in 2009.

Head Coach Paul Johnson has brought in Defensive Coordinator Al Groh to improve a defense that gave up 24.8 points per game in 2009. Groh will implement a 3-4 scheme. The defense does return eight starters including LB Brad Jefferson who had 95 tackles for the team in 2009. This defense also has the next big thing for the Yellow Jackets in freshman DT Shawn Green. He is very good at clogging the middle of the field, and could do very well in the new defensive scheme.

This team has won at least seven games over the last five years, and if things go right I see at eight wins that look to be locks, and they could lock up a few more if things go well. Many CFB pundits have them finishing third in the ACC Coastal division, but their offense can be pretty tough to defend. They scored an ACC best 33.8 points per game in 2009.

Related Links:

•Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets news and notes
•The Business of College Football
•MTR College Sports